Hating You, Loving You (Inked Hearts 4)

She folds her arms over her chest. Shakes off her blush. "What?"

"You know Hunter?"

"Oh. Well… Yeah." She bites her lip. "He and Brendon have been friends for a long time."

"Oh, he's the one—"

"Shut up." She motions to Ryan, sitting in his suite, working on a mock-up. "I don't need the lecture. Not from Ryan and not from you."

"I'm sleeping with my boss. You think I'm going to tell you not to go after someone working here?"

"Yeah." She brushes her dark hair behind her ear. "You can act all tough and no-nonsense, Chloe, but you don't fool me. Deep down, you're a softie."

"Am I?"

"Yeah. You probably have some sort of advice for me that belongs on a poster. Follow your heart. Chase after your dreams. Today is a gift. That's why they call it the present."

I can't help but laugh. Emma is usually perceptive, but she's dead wrong about this. "Are you going to fuck him?"

"No." Her cheeks flush. "He thinks I should join a convent.”

I shoot her a look.

She makes that ugh, my brother is so annoying sound. “Brendon asked Hunter to keep an eye on me. So… he’s basically an annoying babysitter."

“You never had a crush on an older baby sitter?”

“Never.”

“Then why do you keep staring at him?”

“I don’t.”

I nod you do. “He’s staring back.”

“You think?” She clears her throat. “I mean… it doesn’t matter. We’re friends. If that.”

“You’re not into him?”

“Yeah. Totally.” She swallows hard. “Not at all.”

“Uh-huh.”

“Say I was?”

“Say you were.”

“It wouldn’t matter. Brendon will kill him if anything happens. And… Uh… Ahem.” Her gaze shifts to something behind me. "Dean. Hey. Great work. Amazing. You're talented."

"What are you trying to hide?" Dean looks from Emma to me. His fingertips graze my hip for a second, then they're back at his side.

The stolen touches are divine. Wrong in the way that's so, so right.

"Nothing." Emma's dark eyes fill with nerves. She shoots me a girl code, please look.

I nod. Of course.

It's quite the thrill, being able to participate in the girl code again. For a long, long time, I've been on the sidelines. I've been avoiding connections.